Free Ecolitan Prime (Ecolitan Matter) by L.E. Modesitt Jr. Page A

first-class equipment, I’ll admit, but it’s good enough to block anyone but your crew. Besides, you’ve got most of the plants on the staff. So even good equipment wouldn’t keep you from finding out…but not this quickly.”
    The Admiral smiled. “It’s a pity you wouldn’t go the Service route. You’re wasted at Commerce.”
    “Could I have gotten as high at Defense?”
    “The man is dangerous, Marcella. Dangerous. Don’t forget it.”
    “You’re exaggerating again. No man is that dangerous.”
    “I wish I could show you how dangerous.”
    “Why do you care? If you’re right, that would give you all the pretexts you need, not that you seem to mind the lack of political concern you’ve demonstrated so far.”
    The Admiral frowned. “You continue to believe that politics is more important than military capability?”
    “No. Your kind of military capabilities are irrelevant, I suspect. That’s more the kind of judgment the I.I.S. should make. But you don’t trust them either.”
    “Marcella…”
    “Why don’t you ask yourself why Accord wants to negotiate?”
    “I have. They don’t want to fight. Neither do we, but we need the trade routes to the Outer Rift.”
    “Nonsense. You’re still trying to prove that you can undo the Secession with pure military applications. Besides, Accord has never blocked the trade routes. It just happens that we can’t compete, not unless Accord is no longer a factor.”
    “As I said, Marcella, it’s a pity you’re wasted at Commerce.”
    The Special Assistant just looked through the screen at the Defense Chief.
    Finally, the Admiral looked away, and the screen blanked.

XVI
    “C LING!”
    “Whaler.”
    “A Sylvia Ferro-Maine for lunch, Lord Whaler.”
    “Yes. Please send her in.” He paused. “And how soon will the food be ready?”
    “Shortly, Lord Whaler. I just checked on it.”
    He stood and moved toward the entry portal, which was opening as he approached.
    The woman, who at first glance might have passed for a girl, was dark haired, a brown nearly black, almost as tall as he was, well muscled, but fine boned, with the look of a dancer. Her fair complexion added to the chinalike impression.
    “Lord Whaler?”
    “One and the very same, Lady dear,” he replied with a broad accent. “And you are fine?”
    “A little rushed, Lord Whaler, but fine.”
    He gestured toward the deep office couch.
    “You have very spacious quarters here.”
    “Spacious? I had not thought about the matter, but would such as this be considered spacious here? In New Augusta?”
    “Quite comfortable.” Sylvia looked around the office, her eyes lingering at the vista of the western hills. “Quite comfortable.”
    As she sat down, he plopped himself into the chair across from her.
    “Know you much about Accord?”
    “Only the standard. What should I know?”
    Nathaniel shrugged. “So much there is to say. Where would one start? Not at the beginning, for too long that would take. Not in the middle, for too confusing that would be. And at the end, nothing would I be saying. So…” he dragged it out, “at the beginning will I start, but more quickly.”
    “Before start I, hospitality should I offer. Alas, however, my resources here limited are. I have ordered lunch, and arriving in a while it will be. Now I offer you liftea, cafe, or the wine white. You would like which?”
    “If you don’t mind,” the woman responded, carefully crossing her trousered legs, “I think I’ll wait until lunch arrives. But do go on with your story…I mean, your history.”
    The Ecolitan cleared his throat.
    “In the start, Accord settled was by those fleeing after the fall of the first Federation, and with special skills. The Ecolitan Institute founded shortly thereafter to further and to hand down those skills. All citizens must take Institute training to some degree. Fortunate enough was I to be selected for full training and later to teach there.”
    He paused to clear his